When We Make It - by Elisabet Velasquez (Hardcover)

About the Book

Book Synopsis

"Exquisite poetry portrays not only anger and fear, but also hope . . . Gripping and soulful."--School Library Journal, starred review

Sarai is a first-generation Puerto Rican question asker who sees the truth, pain, humor, and beauty of the world both inside and outside her Bushwick apartment. Sarai knows that asking questions is the smartest thing she can do, especially when navigating family trauma, masculinity in its most toxic form, and the systemic pressures of life in a rapidly gentrifying Brooklyn. Questioning allows Sarai to live with determination and laughter, and to celebrate herself in a way that has long been denied.

When We Make It is an unforgettable debut novel-in-verse written in conversation with the Nuyorican poetry and literature that has come before it. Elisabet Velasquez' novel is a love letter to girls who were taught to believe that they would not make it at all, for those born with stories already erased, and those redefining what it means to "make it" every damn day.

Review Quotes

"A gem for pleasure reading as well as classroom use. . . . Raw, breathtaking, and brilliant."--Kirkus Reviews, starred review

"Exquisite poetry portrays not only anger and fear, but also hope . . . Gripping and soulful, this dynamic debut novel-in-verse is a must for every collection."--School Library Journal, starred review

"The candid, clear-eyed poetry contains powerful inquiries about [Sarai's] diasporic Nuyorican identity and canny observations about the endemic social and racial inequities that surround her. . . . Together, these vignettes capture Sarai's multilayered, heartbreaking, and hopeful coming of age."--The Horn Book, starred review

"A beautiful story whose deep messages will have lasting effects."--Booklist

"With verses that are unapologetically fierce and honest, Elisabet Velasquez captures the Brooklyn city streets with a Nuyorican vibe that can't be duplicated. When We Make it is the perfect coming-of-age tale with rhythmic poetry that is certain to cement Velazquez as an exciting new young adult voice to celebrate."--Lilliam Rivera, Pura Belpré Honor-winning author of Never Look Back

"The energy. The clarity. The beauty. Elisabet Velasquez brings it all. And takes me home -- to Bushwick in the most resonate and evocative of ways. The writing is clear-eyed, moving and funny. Her voice is FIRE!"--New York Times bestselling and award-winning author Jacqueline Woodson

"This is the kind of book that makes you feel seen, the kind you read around the kitchen table to your sisters and friends. It will make you laugh and cry and remind you that you aren't alone. Elisabet's book will touch so many people's lives. It has already touched mine."--Angie Cruz, author of Dominicana

"Velasquez renders the heart in conflict with itself, the swag and bilingual sonic charge of Bushwick, an uncompromising love, and the reality of being a young Puerto Rican woman, using poetry to make sense of conflict and chaos in her relentless search for truth. When We Make It is an unforgettable debut."--Willie Perdomo, author of The Crazy Bunch

About the Author